MORE than half of Putrajaya's RM800 million allocation for flood relief efforts is currently still in a fund, said a federal minister, in giving his assurances that the money was not misused.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim told Anthony Loke (DAP-Seremban) that more than RM400 million of the fund is being held in a fund. He did not specify the exact amount.

"Don't worry, the money won't go missing just like that. We still have the money in a fund," he said when winding up the Royal Address in Parliament today.

Loke had previously wanted the government to submit a detailed report to Parliament listing down how the RM800 million was spent.

He said in a written reply he had received previously, only RM338 million had been utilised.

Shahidan also said despite not declaring an emergency during the floods, the standard operating procedure (SOPs) was in place to enable the government to tackle the disaster.

"We have a good set of preparations. I've never seen so many NGOs in my life, until it caused traffic jams," said the national disaster committee chairman in reference to the non-governmental organisations who inundated flood-hit areas to help the victims.

"Even though we did not declare an emergency, our efforts were akin to an emergency."

The floods in the peninsula that started in mid-December last year affected five states: Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Johor. At its height, more than 250,000 were displaced.

Although flood waters have subsided, recovery, which is ongoing, is going to take months with many having lost their homes and belongings.

Earlier this year, DAP had said that the RM800 million allocation must be strictly audited to ensure there were no leakage or unscrupulous benefits from the huge allocation.

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed had also said the RM800 million was a huge sum, and its management needed to be transparent.

"The PAC will ask the Finance Ministry and the National Security Council to explain in detail how the allocation will be channelled to flood victims," Nur Jazlan had told The Malaysian Insider.

In its recently revised budget, Putrajaya allocated more than RM8.9 billion for flood-recovery efforts, of which RM500 million has been distributed as initial allocation for repairs, restoration work and welfare programmes for the victims. – March 26, 2015.